I recall someone saying life is what happens instead of your plans - I think I heard it most recently as a paraphrase of John Lennon's pontifications.

Yeah & verily so.

This weekend, in spite of several weeks of planning, (what gods are spiting?) the weather chose not to co-operate with an outdoor concert at our little town's new little brewery. (I guess the weather & beer deities were spiteful?!)

Kind of a neat place - The Lazy Hiker - brand new with shiny stainless steel tanks in buildings out back, the bar runs the length of the place, they have pretty waitresses and a Big Red "Fork in the Road" food truck parked outside. Excellent eats there.

The main room is large "inside". It's a metal shell building, @ 15ft ceilings and a concrete floor.

From a performing musician's POV, it's a tough room to sound good in - too hollow & too big, with shiny reflective surfaces everywhere.

But they do have a covered stage outdoors and that's where we planned our show. We hired a soundman & gathered extra equipment so as to perform our very best. But....

It rained for three days. The same rain that flooded the coastal Carolinas canceled our Saturday Evening job - a small thing compared to the problems they had.

OK, What can you do? The cancellation was confirmed Sat. 8:00am so I suddenly had the day to myself. Well, maybe not so sudden - it did rain for days and there was time and evidence enough to predict.

I spent a cozy day catching up on laundry & house cleaning and maybe knocked a few chores off the Long List.

Saw a delightful movie "The Grand Budapest Hotel" - highly recommended ! Everybody's in it Grand Budapest Hotel

Saturday ended as it started - quiet rain. A good day and a relaxing evening.

The day before - Friday - after work I had met a new friend by arrangement, at a local Gallery. Saw some very neat artsy stuff, met some lovely creative people and had a grand conversation with my friend afterwards at a local cafe'. How "movie" is that? Very nice.

This all eventually leads up to Sunday (I know, just like it does every week, duh).

Sunday morning broke misty but not pouring anymore - an occasional shaft of early sunlight swept over. From the deck beside our Chapel, the creek was swollen & gray with some white foamy steps and pushing downhill at a much faster than usual pace.

At my favorite corner of the deck I usually hear 3 or 4 "voices" in the water - where it has a particular gurgle or blub or hiss against certain rocks & hollows. Sunday I heard only a big wet rush - heading full tilt downhill, eventually into the Gulf of Mexico.

Bon Voyage! Watching her flow, I could feel the water connection from sky to sea and the local cycle (that's the "Smoke" in the Smokies) from ground to sky & back. I like living up here.

A planned busy afternoon was interrupted by a call to sing - SWAT - Sing When Asked To.

I'm am member of an a capella choir. That statement doesn't even come close to describing the real thing.

Our director is a man of unique temperament and conviction. He seems normal to himself, I'm sure but to me (and the rest of us) he is a beautiful & very spiritual man.

All the stuff we sing reflects this - from "Deep" to "Happy" - our songs are uplifting both to sing & hear. We sing in many languages & traditions. Spirit is the common thread.

I don't do "Church" all that well but the Wayfarer's Chapel and the Ubuntu singers of the Smokies are both the real thing and I get my spiritual re-charge twice a week - Sundays at Wayfarer's & Wednesdays wth Ubuntu.

One of Ubuntu's new members loves a friend who is dying. By the Transitive Property of Love - this makes the dying friend ours too. And so the call went out.

We met in the parking lot of a nearby grocery. 4 original Ubus showed and our new member. Also 4 more people I did not know but recognized from the Gallery on Friday! (I get the hint here that I've been in the spiritual/creative zone all weekend).

We drove over some pavement on War Woman Road (she must have been something else!) and then a bit off-road into the woods and came to a lovely home. Inside was full of calm & spirit & wonderful works of art - drawings, paintings, photos and ceramics All in a natural Native American theme - perceptive & respectful.

Two very strong medicine sticks were at the beginning of the hallway. I was struck reverent by the ambience. We went down the hall to the woman's bedroom. I think there was 9 of us all together.

Lynn (the dying woman) was tiny and took up a small space in her bed - the bump under the covers from her feet just a little more than halfway down. The blanket was up to her neck. She had the brightest eyes and the biggest toothy smile.

She was "tired" but totally "with us" and her husband - who sat bedside in a wheel chair (I guess her's since he got around pretty well).

We sang simple tunes so everyone could join. Songs of love & joy. Songs honoring the art and life of these people who, though in a tough spot, deeply know the beauty in life and the caring we gathered to express.

I looked in the eyes of every person there and saw common love & humanity. We had each mustered our own personal energy to gather & give this person - stranger to some but none the less a fellow traveler - a moment of appreciation & maybe some comfort.

That physical magic that happens when voices gather in real time gave our host a profound joy. She said she wouldn't be anywhere else in the world and that Presence? Bravery? Intelligence? Gift of Spirit? reminded me so much of the strawberry on the cliff side parable - How delicious. Zen Stories

I didn't know most of these people. I was almost overwhelmed. How delicious.

I received a forwarded general thank you from Laurence, the husband. His website & art is a new wonder for me. And on his links he talks about spontaneous spiritual experience - exactly what happened to me!

New ways to perceive what we feel - but can't quite describe. This is why poetry & art exist - to attempt description (words are such poor tools) of what's in our hearts.

I am grateful to have been swept down that river.

On to the next.

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"The singing you all brought us was so healing! Please thank all who came. Lynn and I are so deeply touched by our mountain community here (and blessed too)! That was so beautiful! I've relived it over and over today. Thank you, thank you."
-- Laurence Holden,
Warwoman Creek,
Katuah Province, Turtle Island

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Big Love to All!!